The City of Heraklion was counted among 21 of the “smartest” communities in the world for three years in a row in 2012, 2013 and 2014 according to the Smart21 awards programme of the Intelligent Community Form, a think tank located in New York City.  As a consultant for the Municipality of Heraklion, it was my responsibility to compile the necessary information and references to complete the application for the purpose of the Smart21 awards programme.  My responsibilities included authoring the 30 page application referencing the specific intelligent community indicators that were used to evaluate each city:

-Broadband connectivity
-Knowledge workforce
-Innovation
-Digital inclusion
-Sustainability

The awards programme is centered around the promotion of smart city best practices including the intelligent use of telecommunications and information technology for the benefit of business, citizens and visitors within the municipality.  The result of this success has prompted the Municipality to create the “Heraklion: Smart City Committee” composed of leaders from most of the major stakeholders in the city from the academia, business, transportation and government sectors.  The Committee is in the process of creating a smart city strategy to coordinate efforts in maintaining the intelligence of the city.

I am extremely satisfied to have been a part of this endeavour that continues on today.